Sediments in Gulf of Martaban, Myanmar

Here, sediments can be seen in the Gulf of Martaban (right), in Myanmar. Although in the clear at the moment, the Myanmar coast (Gulf of Martaban, Irrawaddy estuary) tends to be exposed to very damaging cyclones several times per year. One of the major reasons for this is the serious storm surge problems along coast. A tropical cyclone usually produces a higher storm surge in this region compared to elsewhere in the world. This is because of the special nature of the coastline, the shallow coastal ocean topography and the characteristics of tide. Furthermore, the high density of population adds to the severity of the problem.